Combination awning and shutter for window opening



Nov. 20, 1956 R. D. GOODWIN 2,

COMBINATION AWNING AND SHUTTER FOR wmnow OPENING Filed March so, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I E- E INVENTOR.

Pom/v0 D. Gown w Nov. 20, 1956 R. D. eooowm 2,

COMBINATION AWNING AND SHUTTER FOR WINDOW OPENING Filed March 30, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "7 I Pom/v0 D GOOOMA/ FIE 5 5 M WQJ L United States PatentO COMBINATI ON AWNING SHUTTER FOR WINDOW OPENING Roland D. Goodwin, Lakewood, Ohio Application March 30, 1954, Serial No. 419,706

1 Claim. (Cl. -575) This invention relates to buildings and particularly to awnings and shutters therefor.

Conducive to a better understanding of this invention, it may be well to point out that for the purposes of this specification by awning is meant a canopy-like structure that is mounted above a window opening with its lower end spaced outwardly of the opening, so that its window covering panel is positioned at an acute angle to the building wall. By a shutter is meant a structure lying in a plane parallel to, or flat against, the building wall and normally positioned clear of the window opening, but moveable upon occasion to cover the Window opening while remaining in parallel relationship to the building wall.

Metal awnings have become popular recently due to the fact that if made of aluminum or other suitable rustproof metal they are more durable than fabric awnings. K

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a combination awning and 'shutter,for a'window opening, that can be adjusted to protect the opening against rain and sun, in the'manner of an awning or be positioned entirely clear of the opening, at either side thereof, in the manner of a shutter.

Another object is to provide an awning structure made up of two similar sections that may be;separated to lie flat against either side of a window opening inthe'manner of ashutter. I

A further object is to provide a self storing awning that can be converted into a pair of shutters when no longer needed as an awning.

Still another object is to provide a device of the type stated that is an improvement over the Metal Variable Shutter Awning invented by me and described in United States Patent No. 2,532,401 issued to me on December 5, 1950.

Other objects are to provide a combination awning and shutter that is simple in structure, economical to manufacture, of long life and pleasing in appearance.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following specification and claim, together with the accompanying drawings wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference characters and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a building wall including a window opening therein, showing the combination awning and shutter that is the subject of this invention, mounted thereon with the elements arranged on either Patented Nov. 20, 1956 side of the window opening in the manner of a pair of shutters;

Figure 2 is a view similar to that of the Figure 1, but showing the structure arranged to cover the window opening in the manner of an awning;

Figure 3 is a right end view of the structure illustrated in the Figure 2, showing the support bracket and lower tilting bar in alternate position; I v I Figure 4 is a top plan view of the railfrom which the owning frame is suspended; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the cross bars showing the locking means for holding the frame members together, in detail.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is .seen in the Figure 1 a building wall 38 having a window opening 39 therethrough. Reference numeral 11 indicates a tubular rail that is mounted on the wall over the window opening on collars 20 which hold it clear of the wall 38, as seen in Figures 3 and 4. The rail 11 extends across the top of the window opening and to either side thereof as shown, and is held in place by bolts 22 that pass thru the collars 20. Two similar frame members '10 aresuspended from the rail 11 on tubular shoes 13 that slidably and pivotally engage the tubular rail. A top plate or shield 19 is mounted over the rail 11 centered over the window opening for a purpose to behereinafter disclosed. The shield 19 is held along its rear edge in water-tight engagement with the wall 38 by means of spaced screws 21.

Each of the frame members 10 are slidable on the rail 11 toward or away from one another so that they may take the alternate position shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Each frame member 10 has a plurality of tiltable louvers 35 mounted thereon in a manner similar to that described in my aforementioned Patent No. 2,532,401. Therefore, the manner of fabricating and mounting the louvers 35 will be described herein in a general manner only, since detailed information may be had by referring to said patent.

All of the elements described herein are made of aluminum or other light-weight non-corrosive material so that their cooperate action will not be impaired or damaged by such moisture, heat or cold, as is normally to be eX- pected in exposed situations.

Each frame 10 comprises a pair of spaced and parallel side bars 12 connected by a cross-bar 14 between their lower ends. The side and'cross-bars, in their preferred form, are formed of angle metal; The top end of each side-bar 12 is shaped and bent upon itself to form a tubular shoe 13 as seen in Figure 3. The inside diameter of vthe shoe 13 is such'that'itwill fit over the tubular rail 11 in a free slidingv fit; The .frame 10, thus suspended from the rail 11, is free to slide longitudinally thereof as well as being free to pivot axially of the rail.

A plurality of louvers or blades 35 are mounted on the frame side bars. The end of each louver is mounted on a hinge bracket 24 that is pivotally secured by means of a pin 25 to an anchoring strip 23 that is rigidly attached to the side bar, as seen in Figure 3.

Each bracket 24 has an ear 26 which is pivotally connected to a single tilt bar.27 that lies parallel to the side bars 12 and is movable longitudinally thereof. When the tilt bar 27 is moved upward, all of the attached hinged brackets 24 and louvers 35 are tilted downward toward the closed position illustrated in the Figure 1. Upon downward movement of the tilt bar 27, the louvers 35 are tilted upward to the open position illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. By referring to Figure 3, it will be noted that each louver has an upwardly turned flange 40 along the upper edge thereof and a downwardly turned flange 41 along the lower edge thereof. As a result of this construction, water falling on each louver is directed downward onto the louver immediately below it and thus prevented from passing inwardly of the awning. Furthermore, when the louvers are in their extreme downward position, as shown in Figure 1, the various louver fianges overlap to present a continuous closed surface to the exterior. The overhang shield 19 directs water flowing down the front of the wall 38 outwardly toward the louvers 35 and away from the window Opening 39 when the structure is positioned over the opening 39 in the manner of an awning, as is seen most clearly in Figure 3.

When used as an'awning, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the two frame members are moved together so that their lower edges abut. In this position, the ends of the cross bars 14 also abut and are locked together by means of lock straps 15 and 17 which engage pins 16 and 18 respectively on opposite bar ends, as seen in detail in Figure 5.

After being locked together, the two frame members form a single unit which may be tilted on the rail 11 out wardly at an acute angle to the wall 38 to take the awninglike position illustrated in the Figures 2 and 3. The awning is held in this position by bracket arms mounted on pivot pins 31 on the outer side bar 12 of each frame member 10. The free end of each arm 30 is notched at 32 to engage a socket 33 mounted on the wall 38 by means of a screw 34. With the awning so positioned, the louvers may be tilted, at will, by means of the tilt bar 27. A louver positioning arm 28 is pivotally mounted on the tilt bar 27 by means of pin 36. The arm 28 has a plurality of notches 29 which are selectively engageable with a pin 37 on the arm 30 to hold the tilt bar 27 and its attached louvers in any desired position. When the awning is to be converted to a shutter, the arms 30 and 28 can be pivoted upwardly to take the retracted positions indicated by reference numerals 30a and 28a respectively.

To convert the device from an awning such as illustrated in Figure 2 to a pair of shutters as illustrated in Figure 1, it is only necessary to disengage the louver positioning arm 28 from the bracket arm 30 and swing it to its retracted position 28a. The bracket arm 30 is then removed from the wall socket 33 and retracted to its position 30a. Thus joined frames 10 are then pivoted on the rail 11 to a vertical position against the window opening. The two lock straps 15 and 17 are disengaged from the pins 16 and 13 to release the two frame cross bars 14. The two frames 10 are then moved longitudinally of the rail 11 away from one another to a position clear of the window opening, as seen in Figure 1, wherein they have the appearance of a pair of shutters. In this position, the louvers are of course closed so that the shutter presents an unbroken surface to the exterior in the manner of conventional shutters. By moving the shutters while still in their vertically hanging condition to cover the window opening in the manner of true shutters, they may be used to protect the window pane from breakage due to flying objects in times of hurricanes or bombing attacks.

It will now be clear that there has been provided a combined awning and shutter structure that is freely and easily convertible from one form to the other without detachment from its associated window opening. While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof as described and illustrated herein is not to be considered in a limited sense as there may be other forms or modifications of the device which should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A combination awning and shutter for a window opening, comprising in combination, a tubular rail member having laterally extending center and end brackets for securing said rail above the window opening in spaced relation theretoytwo similar frame members pivotally and slidably suspended from said rail between the center brackets and each end bracket thereof, each of the frame members comprising spaced and parallel side bars, joined at their lower ends by an angle iron cross bar, each of said side bars being curved upon itself at its upper end to form a tubular shoe adapted to slidably engage the tubular rail, and a plurality of transversely extending and overlapping louvers tiltably mounted on said side bars, including means for simultaneously tilting and holding the louvers in adjusted position; each of said cross bars having a notched lock strap pivotally mounted thereon, movable between a retracted position against the cross bar to an extended position wherein its notched portion extends beyond the end of the cross bar, and a lock pin mounted on the cross bar in spaced alignment with the pivot point of the lock strap; said frames being slidable of the rail between a first position wherein they are positioned against the end bracket thereof, clear of the window opening and at either side thereof in the manner of a shutter, and a second position wherein said frames abut the center brackets to cover the window opening with their cross bars abutting and with the lock straps extendedso thatthe notches therein engage the lock pins of the abutting cross bars to secure the frames against lateral separation; and means for pivoting and holding the locked frames at an angle to the window opening in the manner of an awning.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

